A Demon's Desire
by music-and-fairytales
Summary: Team story. Mac and Stella held hostage in the lab, can the rest of the team save them? And if they do, how will everybody recover from the trauma of the events?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everybody! My best friend Mimi and I have decided to have a fanfic comp with deadlines for each chapter. We have to buy each other chocolate if we miss our deadlines. I'm sure by the end of this story I'll be fat and broke but oh well. I dedicate this story to Mimi because she's always there for me. Oh and I tried not to have any ships in this so pretty much all the interactions you see are PLATONIC. Well I intended them to be anyway. Read into it whatever you like :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. Please don't sue me.**

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Stella sighed when she saw Mac through the glass walls of his office. It was long past the end of both their shifts and she knew he hadn't been sleeping. She pushed open his office door, entered and sat opposite him. He looked up and gave her a tired smile.

"Stella! Didn't your shift end hours ago?"

"Didn't yours?" She countered.

He looked down.

"What do you say we go get dinner someplace?"

"What'd you have in mind?" He asked, mimicking their conversation from months ago, when they'd gone to the dog show. That night was now amongst his most treasured memories.

"Well something slightly more substantial than what you gave me!" Stella exclaimed, laughing and also remembering that night. Mac was grinning too but she noticed him see something behind her and his smile faded.

"Mac, what..."

"Shhh!" He said quietly and then beckoned for her to come to his side of the desk. She began to turn when he said "Don't turn around. Come here, quickly but quietly."

"Mac you're scaring me." She whispered as she moved to where he was. He gave her a reassuring smile and slid off his chair onto the ground, dragging her down with him. He put his finger to his lips and pointed to the corridor.

She gasped.

There were 3 men walking along one of the corridors, carrying guns and looking around to make sure they were alone.

Mac knew it was too late for them to fight for the lab. They couldn't run – there wasn't time. They had to hide.

There was a cavity beneath Mac's desk. A foot space which was mostly concealed from the rest of the lab by a piece of wood. There was only a small gap at the bottom, about the height of a pair of shoes. Nevertheless, Mac pushed Stella into the cavity and squeezed in next to her.

"Stay perfectly still" he breathed. "Don't move anything below your waist because they might see it and find us."

She nodded, fear evident in her eyes. She was scared, but she also knew that Mac wouldn't let anything bad happen to her.

"Where's your piece?" She whispered.

"Drawer" he replied, nodding in the direction. It was too far away to get to without being seen. "Yours?"

"My locker" she breathed, her facial expression showing her annoyance. "Mac, when we get out of here..."

"You mean IF you get out of here" another voice interrupted.

Stella gasped and she felt Mac tense beside her.

"Come on out my beauty" the man said and grabbed Stella's arm. She struggled, felt Mac move to defend her and the man pulled out his gun.

They froze.

"This is going to happen now whether you like it or not. You can do what I say and live or bleed to death under here. Your choice."

Mac and Stella exchanged glances before the man yanked Stella's arm and Mac followed her out.

"Well lookie here! What's goin' on?" A second man asked, entering the room and grinning.

"Hey Brett! Jus' found us some leftovers to mess with!" Replied the first man. "Where's Rob?"

"Here!" Said a third man, strolling into the office.

Stella was terrified but the CSI in her refused to give way. She mentally catalogued – 1st man unknown, 2nd man Brett, 3rd man Rob.

"So what'll we do with them Dave?"

1st man Dave, 2nd man Brett, 3rd man Rob.

"Well we can't let them go!" Dave exclaimed.

"Yes you can." Mac said quietly and calmly. "Just don't hurt us. We'll sit here and wait until you're gone before we even move."

"We won't say a word I swear!" Stella added.

Dave laughed and the others did too. They seemed to follow his lead and Mac profiled him as the leader.

"You really expect us to believe that?"

"I doubt it!"

"As if the second we turn you're not gonna go for your guns!"

They all exclaimed at once as Mac and Stella's hopes of escape plummeted. They knew they couldn't take on 3 armed men without a weapon between them. Well, at least they tried.

"So what are we gonna do with them?" Brett asked, turning to Dave.

Dave slowly approached Stella and she tried to hide her fear until he replied;

"Let's have some fun."

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**Ok everyone I'd really appreciate some feedback. This is my first CSI: NY story EVER so I'd love some constructive criticism and I'd love to know if I should continue this story or not.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! I'm sorry I didn't update this on time! I broke my first deadline! Lol. Not very promising. Now I have to buy Mimi chocolate lol. Thankyou to everyone who reviewed. Hope you enjoy this chap!**

Stella backed away, shaking her head as Mac stepped in front of her.

The men laughed again.

"Stay away from her!" Mac commanded.

Dave laughed and shoved Mac out of the way. When he reached for Stella, Mac sprang up and punched Dave in the mouth. Chaos ensued. Brett and Rob grabbed Mac to restrain him, Stella shrieked at them to let him go, Dave swore and there was a struggle until he fired a shot into the roof.

Everyone was still and silent.

"Shut up!" Dave yelled before pulling his hand away from his face. Mac was satisfied to see blood coming from his lip and inside his mouth. Stella shot Mac a grateful look for trying to defend her and he gave her an encouraging smile. Then she returned her attention to Dave, who she now noticed had been watching the exchange quite closely, his eyes flicking between her and Mac. A smirk came to his lips and he looked at Mac.

"So would it hurt you if I hurt her?"

Mac said nothing but his facial expression was enough.

Dave nodded to himself, the smirk getting bigger.

"Well boys I think our night just got a whole lot more interesting" Dave began and Stella tensed, well aware that the situation was going from bad to worse very quickly.

Brett and Rob nodded and laughed although they weren't entirely sure what Dave had planned. They seemed to just agree with whatever he said.

"How about we take it in turns?" Dave asked and the other two men exchanged confused looks. Mac and Stella were well aware of the implications but Dave elaborated for his comrades.

"Two of us will stay in here to restrain him," Dave indicated to Mac, "while the other goes out and ... has some fun with her. Goes wild." Brett and Rob's eyes widened as they understood. Then they grinned and Stella felt sick to her stomach.

"I'll go first." Dave announced and without warning, tried to yank Stella out of the room and into the hall by her arm. She pulled back and resisted as much as possible. She could hear Mac yelling behind her.

There was another shot into the ceiling and everything was quiet and still again.

"Don't make me shoot your little boyfriend." Dave said. He took a set of handcuffs off Mac's desk before grabbing Stella around the waist and lifting her off the floor. She fought and kicked against him but he was too strong. She screamed for Mac's help and he was yelling her name but they were both powerless to stop whatever was to come.

Dave dragged her out of Mac's office and down the hall to the layout room. Even though they were in different rooms, the silence of the lab ensured that Stella could still hear the 'smack' sound of flesh on flesh coming from Mac's office. She heard his groan of pain and she looked up. She forgot about her own safety and worried about what they were doing to him. Her heart ached and she wanted to soothe his pain.

Little did she know that what she had coming was a lot worse.

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**Please review! xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! I'm on time this week! I beat the deadline! Anyway, hope you enjoy the chap. Thanks to Jodie for being such an amazing beta and to Mimi for reading over my shoulder and squealing while I wrote this during our mind-blowingly-boring ancient history class.**

Mac struggled, his heart racing when Dave grabbed Stella, fear pulsing through his veins. They all knew what he had in mind for her and Mac knew he had to protect her. Brett and Rob grunted with the effort of restraining him.

"No! Stella! Let her go!" Mac shouted repeatedly, trying his hardest to get to her. Rob punched him and he stopped for a moment. He groaned from the pain and swallowed, tasting blood. Then he continued to struggle and fight.

"Leave her alone!" he demanded, receiving no response other than a punch in the stomach. He sank to his knees, unable to hold himself up due to the pain.

"Please," he begged, "let her go. Keep me here if you want but let her out of here. Please."

Mac looked up into his captor's faces and they laughed again. Did they ever stop laughing? Was this all just a game to them?

"We're not gonna let either of you go so it would be in your best interests to stay still and quiet."

Mac's mind immediately rejected the idea. He couldn't leave her alone...defenseless.

Vulnerable.

Mac shook his head. "No!"

He tried to break free but Brett hit him on the back of his head with the butt of his gun.

Everything faded to black.

_Meanwhile..._

Flack and Danny were playing pool at a bar when Flack's cellphone rang.

"Flack," he answered.

"Hey, it's Hawkes. Sid just called me from the lab. He was just leaving when he heard a gunshot. He thinks it was probably just Mac staying late but he was wondering if we could go check it out."

Flack sighed.

"Yeah, sure. It'll take me about a half-hour to get there though."

"Okay, I'll meet you outside the front entrance."

"Okay, later," Flack said before hanging up.

"What've we got?" Danny asked, bending over the table and taking a shot.

"Sid heard a gunshot at the lab. It's probably just Mac staying late again but Hawkes is gonna meet us there to double-check."

"Reckon it's serious?" Danny asked.

Flack hesitated before nodding. "I have a bad feeling about it."

Danny nodded, as if that settled the matter. They put down their cues and walked out of the bar. They got into the car and sped off in the direction of the lab. After they drove in silence for a while, Flack spoke up.

"Do you guys have any major cases at the moment? Gang warfare? Drug seizure?"

Danny shook his head.

"Is the ballistics area soundproof?"

Danny shook his head again. "It's not _completely_ soundproof but I don't think Sid should have been able to hear a shot if someone was testing."

Flack nodded and sped up.

"Try Mac's cell."

Danny nodded and busied himself with his phone. Putting it to his ear, he listened as it rang, and rang, and rang, and reached messagebank.

"It rang out," Danny said.

"Try Stella. She always knows where Mac is and what's going on."

Danny grinned and tried her cell.

"Message straight away. It must be off."

"That's not like her," Flack said, voicing both their thoughts.

They both knew something was very wrong.

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**Please review! xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok so here's the new chapter everyone. Thanks again to Mimi for being so awesome and inspirational and thanks to Jodie for being my beta and my rock. Enjoy everyone!**

Stella backed up against the table, staying as far from Dave as possible.

"What's wrong? Are you afraid?"

Stella glared at him and shook her head. She was determined not to give into him. She wouldn't let him have the satisfaction of knowing that he was scaring her.

"You don't need to be afraid of me. You're a beautiful woman. I'm a man. I just want what every man would want of you. Just give in and enjoy it."

He swung the handcuffs around his fingers as he spoke and Stella shook her head again, determined to defy him. She could feel her heart racing and she continued to back away from him. She knew she couldn't let herself end up in the handcuffs; if he cuffed her she wouldn't be able to get away. She slowly moved around the table and Dave was slowly following her.

"What are you running for? If you give in it won't hurt as much. You might even enjoy it. I'm just a man..."

"No!" Stella interrupted, suddenly angry. "You're wrong. You're not a man. I know men. Good men. They're strong and brave and they would never hurt anyone intentionally. They're real men. You're not a man."

"We're all men. We all have the same needs and desires. We're all alike."

"Wrong again. They'll never be like you. They're different."

"No, my beauty. Do you think they've never had sex? Do you think it's never occurred to them that you're attractive? You're a woman and we're all men. We just want some satisfaction."

Her stomach churned. Mac, Danny, Flack, Sheldon; they were good men. But she hesitated.

Part of what he said was right. But her mind rejected it.

No.

He wasn't right.

They were different.

Weren't they?

She shook her head.

"Don't deny it. You know it's true. All men have needs. We're all the same."

"No," she said again, but this time she wasn't as confident. She knew she couldn't let his words get to her but now they'd planted themselves in her mind.

She couldn't stop the flicker of doubt.

She shrieked and jumped back when Dave's hand touched her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!"

She'd been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed him get closer. Fear clenched at her heart like a fist. Her breathing hitched as he stepped forward and she realized she couldn't go any further back. She was up against the wall and there was no escape. She began to slide sideways when he flung an arm out, stopping her moving any further. She turned and dashed for the door but he grabbed her by the waist and dragged her back. She screamed and fought with everything she had but soon groaned with pain when she was flung back into the room and her back hit the corner of the table.

She scrunched up her eyes from the pain and realized her mistake a second too late. There was a sharp click as one cuff was around one of her wrists. Her eyes flung open and widened in terror. Dave yanked the other cuff and she unwillingly followed, thrashing and attempting to break free.

"Stop!" he growled. "You're only making this worse for yourself."

He looped the cuffs through behind the leg of the table and attached them to her other wrist. She was in a very vulnerable position. She was standing up straight but her arms were handcuffed behind her and attached to the leg of the table. She looked down and realized that the table was screwed into the floor.

She looked up at him with fear in her eyes and he smiled at her.

"Everything's going to be fine," he said quietly and she shuddered.

There was no escape.

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**Please review? xx**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! Sorry but this chapter has not been beta-ed so it will probably have many mistakes in it. Definitely don't expect a masterpiece from me this time around. I hope you all enjoy it though.**

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS ABUSE SCENES. THEY COULD BE DISTURBING FOR SOME PEOPLE WHO READ THEM.**

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Stella could feel her breathing getting faster and she was suddenly hyper aware of how her whole chest moved as she breathed. She saw Dave notice it too. She shrank back as far as she could when he reached out to touch her. He grinned. Then, quickly, he walked forward and stopped when he was right in front of her. Leaning forward, he whispered huskily in her ear;

"I've always fantasised about doing this."

She somehow managed to suppress a shudder.

"Don't do this. You can still back out now."

He shook his head. "You just don't get it do you? I'm not going anywhere."

His face was so close to hers that she could feel his hot breath on her neck. This time she couldn't stop the shudder and she looked away from him.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him reach his hand out for her again. The second his hand touched her face she snapped her head around and bit him. He howled in pain and before she could even flinch she slapped her. Her head spun for a moment and she groaned. It stung.

"Stand up!" he barked. "I want you to look at me while I do this! You will never forget my face! LOOK AT ME!" he shouted. Slowly, she pulled her head up and glared at him from behind a stray curl. She knew she was defenceless and she was angry about it. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that emotionally she was running from him. Even though she couldn't physically, emotionally she was going to keep fighting back.

He was suddenly calm. "Yes that's what I like to see. There's fire in your eyes again. I want to watch as it goes out."

He reached forward again and this time she could not fight it. She couldn't get her head at the right angle to bite him so she had to watch helplessly as his hand extended towards her. When his fingertips touched her collarbone she swallowed. He began to stroke along the bone very gently and even though Stella wanted to look away, she refused to give up. His fingertips roamed along her shoulders and around her neck, a look on his face of utter concentration.

Then his fingers started to stray lower and she began to regret wearing a v-neck top that morning. He brought his fingers down to her cleavage and she felt like she was going to throw up. She couldn't look at him anymore but she also couldn't look away. Deciding to focus on the floor, she looked down only to see his arousal at the situation and was forced to look back up. His face crashed down onto hers and she could feel his breath on her face as he kissed her. She began twisting and squirming to get out of his grip. His facial expression changed to annoyed and he reached to undo the buttons of the top. She jerked away from him and shrieked "No!" there was a flash of anger in his eyes and suddenly agonizing pain in her stomach. He had punched her. Hard. She yelped and crumpled over as far as possible but could not even soothe the pain.

"Stop fighting me!" Dave growled at her.

"Never!"

_Meanwhile..._

Mac felt a throbbing pain in his head and he wanted to go back to the darkness but something was nagging at his mind. He felt like there was something important that he was forgetting. He struggled to remember and then he heard someone yelp and moan in pain.

Stella!

They were captive! There were ... 2 men holding him in his office. But he couldn't feel them on him at the moment. He realised that he hadn't moved and so they still thought he was unconscious. He stayed still and tried to formulate a plan.

_Meanwhile..._

Flack and Danny pulled up outside the lab and saw Hawkes by the door. Lindsay pulled up behind them in her car and Danny gave her a questioning look.

"Sheldon rang me right after you." She said by way of explanation.

"Everyone got your weapons ready?" Flack asked, taking hold of the situation.

They nodded and as a group, they entered the building to try and find their friends.

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**Please review! xx**


	6. Chapter 6

**I am SO SORRY! I got so carried away with schoolwork and everything has become so busy around here and then I couldn't think of anything to write! I'm sorry this chap is so short and terrible as well. I just felt like I needed to post something for all of my loyal reviewers. I hope you guys enjoy this, even though it's so short and late. I'm sorry!**

**Oh and a warning, this chapter still contains pretty graphic sexual violence so don't read if you think it'll upset you.**

Stella felt hot tears start to burn their way down her cheeks.

She couldn't believe this was happening.

She could feel Dave's hands roaming everywhere over her and she just wanted it to be over.

He unbuttoned her top, an expression of fierce concentration on his face. Sliding it down her arms, he realised he could not get it off without removing the handcuffs, so with a hard pull on the top, he tore it away from her completely. She was left standing in her bra and pants and just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, he reached for the button at her waist. She jerked her hips away from him and his eyes flashed with anger.

"I told you to stop resisting me." His voice was quiet and trembling with rage and somehow, Stella found that even more frightening than when he shouted.

"And I told you I'm not gonna stop fighting. If I stop fighting it means I'm letting you win and no matter what you do to me, I am NEVER going to let you win."

His expression went cold and then a slow grin spread across his face. He knew she couldn't do anything about it so he kept going. He reached forward again and ripped off the button at the top of her pants. Gasping, she continued to struggle. Even though she knew she couldn't stop him, she could make it hard for him to do what she knew he was planning to. Her pants fell around her ankles and she was sickened by the sigh of pleasure she heard from Dave.

"This is going to be soooooooo good," he moaned. She closed her eyes tightly as he pressed himself up against her and she felt his erection against her body. Then he placed his hands on her body again and as he slipped one hand down her stomach and into her underwear, she knew it was all over.

_Meanwhile..._

There was a tense silence in the elevator as Flack, Danny, Hawkes and Lindsey waited for the doors to open on their floor. None of them knew what to expect but all were afraid of what would be happening to their friends. The elevator stopped moving and they readied their weapons. There was a quiet 'ding' as the doors opened and Flack led them into the lab.

**Please review! xx**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone! Sorry this chap took so long and I'm sorry it's so short. Only one chap after this though, and then it's over. I'm thinking of writing a sequel about the recovery process though so let me know if you want one. Enjoy! xx**

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Flack led the way into the lab, walking slowly and cautiously forward. He sensed Hawkes and Danny moving into position either side of him with Lindsay slightly behind them all. They moved forward almost silently, eyes searching for any form of movement. Then Flack saw Mac's office and flung his hand out to stop the others from moving. When he had their attention, he pointed ahead to show them what he had seen.

Mac was on the ground, his head turned towards the door and his eyes open. There were 2 men standing behind him, leaning against his desk and talking. Mac's eyes widened when he saw them and Flack realised that maybe his captors didn't realise he was awake. Flack and the others stayed hidden in the shadows, trying to decide how best to save Mac. Lindsay glanced at him while the others were whispering and saw him trying to say something.

"Flack! Danny! Sheldon! He's trying to say something!" She hissed at them and they turned. The desperation on Mac's face was evident, but try as they did, the group could not understand what he was mouthing at them. Lindsay thought hard, trying to come up with something he could be saying. Then she realised. He was saying the name of the other person who was still in the lab.

"Stella! He's saying Stella!"

She turned back to Mac and mouthed back to him; "Where is she?"

Mac opened his mouth to reply, but then everything took a turn for the worst. One of his captors noticed he was moving.

"Brett! He's awake!"

There was no time for a plan anymore. Mac's two captors had their backs to the door as they began to kick him, and Flack, Lindsay, Danny and Hawkes ran into Mac's office, surprising the two men and quickly overpowering them. The group pulled Mac to his feet and he immediately led them out into the hall, waving away their concerns about his wellbeing.

"The main guy ... Dave ... he's got Stella ... I don't know where he took her ... we have to save her! ... He has a gun ... he said he's going to rape her and ... we can't let that happen!"

Then they heard a shriek and the sound of someone being slapped.

"I told you not to defy me, BITCH!"

The group ran towards the sound. Stella was still shrieking. "No! Not that, please. Just leave me alone!"

The team rounded the corner in time to see Stella, naked except for her bra, scream in agony as Dave thrust himself into her. They were paralysed with horror for a moment before Hawkes yelled and charged into the room, closely followed by the others. At the sound of the shout, Dave pulled himself back out of Stella and grabbed her, reaching for his gun at the same time. Flack grabbed him and roughly pulled him away from Stella.

"Get off of her!" He yelled, throwing Dave against the wall on the other side of the room. He groaned when he hit the wall and the force of it seemed to stun him for a few moments. Danny, Hawkes and Flack all converged on him, taking his gun while he was still stunned and wrestling him to the floor. Mac hurried towards Stella to free her from the handcuffs, however when he reached his hands out towards her, she flinched. He looked up at her to give her a reassuring look, but became confused when she wouldn't meet his eyes. His heart sank when he realised what was wrong.

She was afraid of him.

"Please," she said in a tiny voice. "Please get Lindsay to do it."

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**Okay, so this is how it's going to work. I actually already have part of the last chapter written. The more reviews I get, the faster it will come :P Hope you enjoyed it everyone xx**


	8. Chapter 8

**I am SO SORRY EVERYBODY! It's been way too long since I last updated. I'm really really sorry. I've decided (since I'm so bad at updating chapter fics) that I'm not going to write a sequel story to this. I don't want to promise something I may not produce. So there's not going to be a sequel story, but there's gonna be at least one more chapter to this. I hope you're still sticking with me :) Thanks to everybody who reviewed, and I hope you enjoy this chap. **

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There was a moment of stunned silence as everyone else had that horrible moment of realisation – something had happened in this room to make Stella Bonasera afraid of Mac Taylor. Lindsay was apparently too shocked to move, so Flack stepped forward. Stella flinched again.

"Please," she said, sounding so small they almost couldn't believe it was her that had spoken, "please just get Lindsay to do it."

Flack retreated, and Lindsay stepped forward. With shaking hands, she unlocked the handcuffs which were keeping Stella prisoner. It was only a moment before Stella crumpled to the floor. Mac felt an irrepressible urge to go to her and comfort her, but when he moved forward she shrank away again. He felt sick. Surely she knew he would never hurt her? He was jolted out of his thoughts by Lindsay's voice.

"Could you guys maybe leave us alone for a minute? I'm gonna take Stell to the locker room and see what I can do for her."

Danny, Hawkes and Flack nodded, dragging Dave out of the room with them. Mac, however, couldn't process the idea of leaving her alone. His mind rejected Lindsay's words. He couldn't leave her. Never. Suddenly, Lindsay was right in front of him.

"Mac," she hissed under her breath, "please. I know this is horrible, but Stell is scared and vulnerable and she's ... she seems to be ... afraid of you guys. I need to take care of her so she isn't anymore, okay? We need to wait for her to recover a bit. I know you want to be there for her, we all do, but please leave for now. You don't need to see this and, as hard as this will be to hear, she doesn't want you near her at the moment."

Mac slowly nodded, accepting Lindsay's words as true, though not wanting to believe it. He turned, feeling as if he was going in slow motion, and followed the path he was sure the others had taken – to the interrogation room where they could hold Dave and the others.

Lindsay watched sadly as Mac walked away, clearly in pain and clearly in shock. But she couldn't spare thoughts for him at the moment. Stella needed her.

Turning back around, she felt her heart ache once again at the sight of the broken woman on the floor. Slowly, she approached her, trying not to startle or frighten her.

"Stell? It's gonna be okay, alright? Everything's gonna be fine." Lindsay spoke in the most soothing tone she could muster, as she crouched down next to Stella on the floor. She was relieved that she had managed to get so close without Stella flinching or shrinking away, but Stella did not respond and she then realised she had no idea what to do next. She mentally shook herself, trying to think clearly. Clothes. She needed cl... no. She needed the hospital. She was clearly going into shock.

Pulling out her cellphone, Lindsay called Danny first.

"Hey Linds, how's Stell?"

She thought about it, and decided to avoid answering. They didn't need to know how bad it was, if they hadn't already guessed.

"She needs to go to the hospital. Have you..."

"We already called. Paramedics are about 5 minutes away."

"Okay thanks. I'm gonna move Stell into the locker room so there's more privacy okay? When they get here, tell them where we are."

"Yep. Will do."

"Oh and Danny? Make sure they're women."

She couldn't bring herself to say anything else, so she hung up.

Looking back at Stella, she noticed her shivering. She was definitely going into shock.

"Stell, do you think you can walk right now? I'm gonna take you to the locker room where it's quieter okay?"

Stella nodded weakly and Lindsay helped her to her feet. For a moment she wondered about putting Stella's clothes back on her, but she knew they'd need them for evidence, and she knew Stella would want them for evidence. Nevertheless, she looked at Stella for confirmation and saw a slight nod. Okay. Time to go.

It was not a long way to walk to get to the locker room, but the journey took its toll on Stella. She was having difficulty walking, but once they left the room was when the emotional stress began again. She was out in the open. Anything or anyone could get her here. She started to panic, felt her heartbeat speed up and her breathing get faster, and then felt Lindsay's arm tighten around her waist and her hand suddenly squeeze hers.

"It's gonna be okay Stell. Look. We're here now."

Lindsay pushed open the door and led Stella over to one of the benches, sitting her down before closing the door behind her.

Stella felt a bit safer when the door was closed. Now it was just her and Lindsay. No men in the room. No men to hurt her. She was staring into the distance, lost in her own thoughts when Lindsay squeezed her hand again, and she realised she was sitting next to her.

"Stell, I'm gonna get you my change of clothes from my locker okay? You'll feel a bit better once you're dressed again."

Stella nodded but didn't say anything. She was starting to be able to think again, but didn't trust her own voice to be steady. She became aware of Lindsay standing in front of her again, holding out a pile of folded clothes.

"Umm ... do you need help or ..."

Stella shook her head. She was starting to get some of her strength back and she was determined to believe she could do something so simple as dressing herself. Lindsay returned to her locker when she heard her phone vibrate and Stella began dressing behind her. Flipping open the cell, Lindsay looked at the screen.

NEW MESSAGE FROM DANNY MESSER.

She pushed a button to open the message.

'Paramedics are here. Hawkes is bringing them to you. D x'

Lindsay turned around. "Stella? The paramedics are here now."

Stella nodded. Lindsay had been right. Now she was dressed she felt a bit safer. And warmer. That was good. She was trying desperately not to let herself go into shock. And now the paramedics were coming. That was good too. She didn't like hospitals but she knew she needed one. She was jolted out of her thoughts by a knock on the door. She glanced at Lindsay and at the door. Lindsay gave her a reassuring smile and went to open it. Hawkes led the paramedics in and Stella tensed instantly at the sight of him. Her eyes widened slightly in fear and she fought the urge to back away. Both Lindsay and Hawkes noticed and Lindsay saw the sadness in his eyes. They shared a look before he nodded and left the room. Stella relaxed again slightly. Now it was just women again. They wouldn't hurt her. The paramedics introduced themselves as Kirsten and Julia, and set to work checking on Stella's bruises and injuries. They determined that she had been beaten and would be bruised and sore for a few days, but there was no serious damage done. Now they knew that though, she needed to be taken to the hospital.

Nobody said it, but Stella knew as well as everybody else did what was waiting for her there. Kirsten and Julia waited patiently while Lindsay spoke to Stella and tried to reassure her.

"Stell, it's gonna be okay. All that's gonna happen is..."

"Will you stay with me?" Stella interrupted, her voice cracking as she spoke her first words since the whole ordeal began.

Lindsay was surprised but agreed immediately. She took Stella's hand and together they began the journey to the ambulance, both dreading what was ahead.

* * *

**Please review and let me know what you thought! xx**


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